Five Seasonal Recipes Using Local Produce Available Now

July is the single best month to eat well in London without spending a fortune. Broad beans, courgettes, new potatoes, strawberries and heritage tomatoes are all hitting peak season simultaneously, and the city's markets are currently groaning with them at prices that make a supermarket run look wasteful. A bag of broad beans at Borough Market on Southwark Street was selling for £2.50 a kilogram on Thursday. That's a meal, not a garnish.

The timing matters because, in the middle of a cost-of-living squeeze that has pushed many Londoners toward ultra-processed convenience food, cooking with in-season produce is one of the few ways to eat both better and cheaper at once. NHS figures published earlier this year indicated that fruit and vegetable consumption among adults in England remains well below the recommended five-a-day target, with lower-income households hit hardest. Borough and farmers' markets, plus the city's growing network of community food projects, are actively trying to close that gap right now, in July, when the produce is actually there.

Where to Shop Before You Cook

Two places stand out this week. Broadway Market in London Fields, E8, runs every Saturday and has a cluster of small-scale growers from Kent and Essex selling courgettes, chard and the first outdoor tomatoes of the year. Stalls typically open at 9am. Further east, Walthamstow's weekly street market on Walthamstow High Street, said to be one of the longest outdoor markets in Europe at roughly half a mile, sells mixed salad leaves, new potatoes and strawberries at prices that routinely undercut zone-2 supermarkets by 20 to 30 percent. Get there before midday on a Saturday for the best selection.

Growing Communities, the Hackney-based not-for-profit that has been running its organic box scheme since 1996, is also worth a look. Its weekly veg bag, available for collection from Stoke Newington, starts at £12.50 and is filled almost entirely with UK-grown produce in summer months. The scheme deliberately prioritises small farms within 100 miles of London.

Five Recipes to Make Right Now

1. Broad bean and mint bruschetta. Blanch 300g of podded broad beans for two minutes, then crush roughly with a fork, olive oil, lemon zest and a handful of fresh mint. Pile onto sourdough toasted under the grill. Lunch for two, under £4.

2. Courgette, feta and lemon fritters. Grate two courgettes, salt them and squeeze out excess water. Mix with one egg, 80g crumbled feta, a tablespoon of plain flour and black pepper. Fry tablespoon-sized rounds in a little olive oil until golden on both sides. Serve with Greek yoghurt.

3. New potato and watercress salad. Boil 500g Jersey Royals, still available and still worth it, until just tender. Cool slightly, then toss with watercress, a sharp Dijon-and-cider-vinegar dressing and thinly sliced radishes. Works alongside grilled fish or on its own.

4. Raw tomato and herb pasta. Dice 400g of ripe outdoor tomatoes (heritage varieties from Broadway Market are ideal), then mix with garlic, basil, olive oil and a pinch of dried chilli. Leave at room temperature for 30 minutes while you cook 320g of spaghetti. Toss together. No heat required for the sauce.

5. Strawberry and black pepper shortcakes. Make simple scone-like rounds with 200g self-raising flour, 50g butter and 100ml milk. Bake at 200°C for 12 minutes. Split and fill with sliced strawberries macerated in a teaspoon of sugar and a crack of black pepper, topped with thick cream. English strawberries are at their absolute best this fortnight.

All five dishes can be made start-to-finish in under 45 minutes. None requires equipment beyond a standard hob and a baking tray. For anyone managing a dietary condition or looking to build a longer-term eating plan around seasonal produce, a registered dietitian through an NHS GP referral, or via the British Dietetic Association's Find a Dietitian directory, remains the right next step. But for this Sunday specifically: go to the market, buy what looks good, and cook it the same day.